Ordered Self-assembly of Protonated Porphyrin Induced by the Aqueous Environment of Biomimetic Systems

• Published in: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Vol. 1130; no. 1; pp. 305 - 313
• Main Authors: Andrade, Suzana M., Costa, Sílvia M. B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01-01-2008
• Subjects: Biomimetics; carbon nanotubes; Dimerization; fluorescence correlation spectroscopy; fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Lactoglobulins - chemistry; Light; light harvesting; Micelles; Molecular Conformation; Nanotubes, Carbon - chemistry; porphyrin; Porphyrins - chemistry; Protein Binding; proteins; Protons; reverse micelles; self-assembly; Serum Albumin - chemistry; Spectrometry, Fluorescence - methods; vesicles
• ISSN: 0077-8923; 1749-6632
• DOI: 10.1196/annals.1430.046

Water‐soluble ionic porphyrins show an interesting self‐association pattern in acidic conditions under which highly ordered aggregates are stabilized. Herein we give an overview of the template effect of biological interfaces in tetrakis(4‐sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin TSPP self‐aggregation, in which we point out the possibility of tuning this process by screening the charge repulsion through ionic strength and pH. We give special emphasis to the use of fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy and of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to visualize and characterize these molecular aggregates.